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Hidden Foster Care Transparency Act Introduced to Bring Accountability to Child Welfare System

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Congressman Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01) and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) have introduced the Hidden Foster Care Transparency Act, a bill aimed at bringing greater transparency to child welfare and ensuring the protection and wellbeing of children in informal foster care arrangements. These arrangements, known as parental child safety placements, occur when state agencies informally place children with relatives without court oversight, leaving hundreds of thousands of children each year without national data on outcomes and impact. The bill requires states to report on these placements, ensuring accountability and safeguarding the rights of families against government overreach.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Hidden Foster Care Transparency Act aims to bring accountability to child welfare by requiring states to report on parental child safety placements.
  • These informal arrangements, known as hidden foster care, can provide stability for children but lack oversight and legal guardrails.
  • Congressman Moran pointed to Texas as a model, where a 2023 law required Child Protective Services to notify parents of their rights, imposed time limits on placements, and mandated tracking of cases.
  • The Texas Public Policy Foundation has expressed gratitude to Congressman Moran and Senator Cornyn for their leadership on this issue.
  • The bill would shed light on little-known parts of the child protection system, bringing critical transparency and accountability to our nation's child protection system.
  • The bill requires states to report on how and when hidden foster care is used, ensuring the protection and wellbeing of children in such arrangements.
  • Congressman Moran stated that families deserve to be treated with dignity and children deserve to be seen and protected, not hidden from accountability.
  • Senator Cornyn emphasized that informal foster care arrangements without accountability can leave families in limbo and expose children to neglect, instability, or abuse.

Statistics:

  • Hundreds of thousands of children are placed into informal foster care arrangements each year, with no national data on outcomes and impact.
  • In Texas, the 2023 law passed (HB 730) required Child Protective Services to notify parents of their rights, imposed time limits on placements, and mandated tracking of cases.
  • The Hidden Foster Care Transparency Act would require states to report on the use of parental child safety placements, ensuring accountability and protection of children.

Sources:

  • Congressman Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01)
  • Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)
  • Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA)
  • Texas Public Policy Foundation
  • Law passed in Texas (HB 730), 2023

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